Northern Islands of Hokkaido by Bike

northern islands of hokkaido by bike

trip highlights Starts from Abashiri Memanbetsu on the east coast of Hokkaido Finishes in Wakkanai, Japan’s northern-most city Cycle-friendly rural roads and cycling paths Cycling in Rishiri Island, undiscovered cycling paradise Hiking in Rebun Island, home to many rare alpine plants Staying at traditional Japanese inns with hot springs on site Experience Hokkaido’s fresh seafood oriental cuisines Optional cycle tour in the ancient city of Kyoto

Trip Duration 7 days Trip Code: NOH Grade Moderate level Activities 5 day cycle Accommodation 6 nights motel/hotel accommodation

Kia Ora from Adventure South why travel with Adventure South? Thank you for your interest in our Northern Islands of Hokkaido By “Small Groups, Great Guides, Superb Holidays.” Bike adventure. It’s a superb adventure and we hope you can join us. This comment encapsulates an Adventure South active holiday in Adventure South has been operating active holidays throughout New Japan. The phrase was not born from a long and tortuous strategic Zealand since 1992 and Japan since 2008. Thanks to our experience planning process, it came from a client review! We could not have we’re confident to say that we offer the very best travel itineraries said it any better. Our client feedback also confirms that what helps available in New Zealand and Japan today. make our holidays different are the quality of our professional guides. An Adventure South holiday aims to take you beyond the more They share their humour, compassion and wilderness experience to popular and busy trails to provide you with a truly unique Japanese ensure that you have a great vacation and the right degree of personal wilderness experience. challenge. We’re here to show you that there are many, many more trails and On an Adventure South tour you can also expect the right, proven cycling routes in this great country that are the new frontiers in equipment is provided for your tour; the food is delicious, plentiful and adventure tourism - beautiful, scenic, and without the crowds. We can be catered to your dietary requests; your guides are all First Aid aim to explore these delicate environments in a sustainable manner trained; that the itinerary you have chosen has been carefully crafted to ensure we leave as little impact as possible from our visit. We’d from years of personal experience in the Japanese wilderness, not from be honoured to introduce you to the wide variety of natural wonders a guide book recommendation. that Japan is famous for. Go forth, go south - join us on this amazing small group, value packed adventure!

important notes the trip Note: Ask our staff about our 4 day Kyoto Active extension. Hokkaido at the northern edge of Japan offers fantastic opportunities for adventure seekers. Hokkaido may be best known for the excellent snow conditions, but there are secrets that are revealed only in summer. The heavy snowfall in winter is what makes Hokkaido roads so wide trip cost and smooth, providing perfect conditions for road cycling. The roads are maintained regularly (virtually every summer) and built with ample space to house the snow. The harsh winter Joining Abashiri: NZD$4100 / AUD$3390 also means less population, traffic and good food, everything you wish for in a cycle touring destination! The ocean surrounding Hokkaido is blessed with bountiful seafood, attracting options & supplements many food lovers all over the country, and it gets more exotic and even higher quality as we journey further north. This 7 day itinerary explores the northern most national park of Japan Adventure South does not require single travellers pay a containing the undiscovered twin islands Rishiri and Rebun. There are over six thousand surcharge for travelling alone. We will arrange for you to islands belonging to the Japanese Archipelago, and islands are the destinations you can’t share accommodation with another traveller of the same miss when in Japan! gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share We highly recommend our 2 nights extension option in Kyoto, including a day cycling through a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own a bamboo forest, rock garden, Zen temple and the Golden Pavilion. Ask us for more details. room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above. about your leader Our Guides are one of our biggest assets. We pride ourselves on the standard and quality of these great people who you will be spending your holiday with. They come from all walks of life but they all have a common desire to give you the best possible experience, heaps of fun and lots of fond memories to take home with you. We provide you with the services of two guides for many of our trips, (this may depend on the size of the group). All are certified in first aid and CPR and many are trained bike mechanics. at a glance Day 1 Meet in Abashiri Day 2 Abashiri to Lake Saroma Day 3 Lake Saroma to Hamatonbetsu Day 4 Hamatonbetsu to Wakkanai Day 5 Wakkanai – ferry – Rishiri Island Day 6 Rishiri Island – ferry – Rebun Island – ferry – Wakkanai Day 7 Wakkanai finish what’s included 6 breakfasts and 5 evening meals 6 nights accommodation on a twin share basis All water and snack food whilst cycling English speaking guide & mechanic Support vehicle(s) Rental bikes Helmets by request only (please advise on booking) Bike tools and spare parts All ferry transport as described in the itinerary

detailed itinerary Day 1 Meet in Abashiri We meet at our lakeside accommodation in Abashiri at 6pm and have a welcome dinner. Our accommodation tonight has wonderful onsens (natural hot spring) in both an indoor and outdoor setting, which will be a perfect location for your first authentic onsen experience. Accommodation: Ryokan/Ensuite/Onsen Cycling distance – 0km meals: d Day 2 abashiri to Lake Saroma From Abashiri we ride on the designated cycling path, which takes us to Lake Notoro and then onto Hokkaido’s largest Lake Saroma. The path built on the sands spit between the lake and the ocean provides unique cycle experience and views including a fishing port, scallop farms and coastal flower reserves. We have a lunch at the visitor centre in the flower reserve before resuming our lake side ride to our accommodation. Accommodation: Hotel/Ensuite/Onsen Cycling distance – 70km/43.5mile Altitude gain – 200m/656ft meals: b,d Day 3 Lake Saroma to Hamatonbetsu This morning we will drive to miss cycling the busy traffic section from Lake Saroma to Oumu (approx 2hr drive). Along the way we pass interesting fishery towns, one of which is Monbetsu famous for its massive drift ice in winter. The rich nutrient that the drift ice carries makes this area productive for its fishery, especially the crabs. Once we reach Oumu we get back on our bikes continuing our journey north all along the coastline to Hamatonbetsu. Tonight we are staying at a “cycling terminal”, a type of accommodation established to cater to cyclists, equipped with rental bike facility and onsen to restore tired bodies. Accommodation: Cycling terminal/Ensuite/Onsen Cycling distance – 80km/50mile Altitude gain - 400m/1312ft meals: b,d Day 4 Hamatonbetsu to Wakkanai On leaving Hamatonbetsu, we cycle by Lake Kutcharo, home to thousands of swans making their winter migration from northern Siberia. Lake Kutcharo is registered by the Ramsar Wetlands Convention as the area is an important staging ground for migratory waterfowl. We continue travelling north along the coast to Wakkanai today, aiming for Japan’s northernmost tip, Cape Soya. On a clear day you can see the outline of Sakhalin Island of Russia only 43kms away. Accommodation: Hotel/Ensuite/Onsen Cycling distance – 95km/59mile Altitude gain - 400m/1312ft meals: b Day 5 Wakkanai – ferry – Rishiri Island This morning we take a 1.5 hour ferry to the Rishiri Island. Rishiri Island is Japan’s cycling paradise with a circumference of 60km. The coast line is all rideable with ocean views on one side and mountain views on the other. There is a 25km section of road cycling through some flower reserves, which will be in full bloom in June. There are no major hills, little traffic and superb views all day

fast facts long. Mount Rishiri, also known as Rishiri Fuji, is situated in the centre of the island and is always in your sight. We will take our van on the ferry with us so the support will be there if the island breeze Private Groups: picks up. Private group options are Accommodation: Ryokan/Ensuite available for this trip* Cycling distance – 60km/37mile Singles: Altitude gain - 300m/984ft A single supplement is available for this trip* meals: b,d Leader: Expert local leader Day 6 Rishiri Island – ferry – Rebun Island – ferry – Wakkanai *Ask our staff for more information A forty mins ferry voyage takes us to neighbouring Rebun island. Unlike Rishiri, Rebun is a non- volcanic island that is long and narrow. The west coast is rugged and predominantly cliffs, whereas the east coast slopes more gently to the sea. Rebun Island, famous as a floral island, has a number of walking and hiking trails, offering opportunities to see rare alpine flowers growing naturally. Today we have a couple of options to cycle or hike this wonderful island Rebun, depending on the weather and everyone’s energy on the day. In the late afternoon we will board the ferry that takes us back to Wakkanai. Accommodation: Hotel/Ensuite/Onsen Cycling distance: up to 20km/12.5mile or 2-3 hour hiking meals: b,d Day 7 Wakkanai finish The tour finishes today after breakfast in Wakkanai. Cycling distance – 0km meals: b

This itinerary is subject to change with any change in Community regulations as well as Governmental changes and natural circumstances beyond our control.

cycling Cycling is one of the best ways to see a country and our trips have been well researched to take you on the best route, using wherever possible quiet secondary roads. On the route you will see incredible scenery and landscapes, view the main sights, eat delicious food, stay at unique accommodation and meet the locals. Our trips follow the philosophy of “Cycling the Best and Driving the Rest”. The support vehicle enables riders of all fitness levels to enjoy the tours in Japan, covering up to 60-90km plus per day (37-56 miles). On some days we intentionally use the support vehicle or public transport to avoid busy sections for the sake of your safety. Bike hire is included in the cost of your tour and full details of our bike fleet can be found on our website: All equipment and luggage will be carried by the support vehicle. Your bike will come with a front pannier bag for your camera, wallet, jumper etc. It is important to remember that these cycling journeys are not designed to be a marathon event. While these tours offer point to point riding, no one needs to feel under pressure to ride – everyone rides at their own pace. If at any time you do not wish to ride, the support vehicle is always available for you and your bike to be transported. Remember that cycling involves some physical exertion, and some pre trip preparation will help towards making your cycle tour an enjoyable experience. Cycling, of course, is an active pursuit and to maximise your own personal protection in case of a tumble or fall, the wearing of a bicycle helmet is compulsory at all times whilst cycling. We also highly recommend wearing bright/fluoro cycle clothing to increase your visibility on the road.

responsible travel country information Hokkaido is located in the northern part of the Japanese Archipelago, which extends north We all have a responsibility to minimise and south. It represents 22% of the nation’s total landmass. It is the largest prefecture in the impact we have on the environment Japan, nearly 40 times the size of Tokyo and equivalent to the area of Austria (83,859 km2). and communities we visit when we travel. With almost equal areas of mountains and of plains, Hokkaido is less mountainous and hilly Since our beginnings this has been a and has more flatlands compared with the rest of Japan. cornerstone of our company. The New Tourists are attracted from all over the country to Hokkaido’s rich variety of fresh fish and Zealand travel industry has become a processed seafood. This delicious bounty includes crab (kani), scallops (hotate), sea urchins world leader in developing an external (uni), salmon roe (ikura), salmon (sake), herring (nishin), flounder (karei), cod (tara), squid (ika), audit process to identify quality, and that octopus (tako), shrimp (ebi), abalone (awabi), surf clams (asari), kelp (konbu) and loads more!. process has been extended to now include Are you prepared to try these out? a 3 level Enviro Mark based on company There are 29 National Parks in Japan, 6 of which are in Hokkaido. These National Parks have processes. We’re very proud that we’ve been designated by the Ministry of Environment and account for approx 5.5% of the nation’s received a Gold rating, the highest category; total land mass. Japanese National Parks are quite different from NZ national parks where the each year since this initiative began. first priority is given to conservation. Whereas in Japan, the emphasis is often placed on the Being responsible when we travel isn’t preservation of “scenic beauty” and provision of recreational opportunities. Because Japan about a single process or project but is a small and densely populated country, the land comprising National Parks cannot be rather a way of thinking and then doing. exclusively allocated as government-owned park land. We started this journey many years For this reason, National Parks of Japan often comprise of privately owned residential areas ago, and acknowledge we still have a and industrial lands such as agriculture and forestry. Shiretoko National Park is a World lot to learn. We invite you to join us! Heritage Site registered by UNESCO only in July 2005, is considered to be the last pristine wilderness remaining in Japan. trip grading climate To determine the grade of a particular Japan has a remarkably diverse climate because of its wide range of latitudes and altitudes. adventure we consider a number of factors. Hokkaido has short dry summer and lengthy winter with heavy snowfall, whereas the southern These include the condition of the terrain, the islands, such as Okinawa, enjoy a subtropical climate. Most areas of Japan except Hokkaido altitude, the number of pass crossings and experience a 3-4 weeks rainy season in June, and it becomes hot and humid July onwards. the length of the trip. The Northern Islands The average temperature in summer months in Hokkaido is about 15-25°C, depending on of Hokkaido is graded moderate. You will where in Hokkaido you are, it gets as hot as 30°C during the day, it can also go just below need a reasonable level of fitness and we 15°C on a cool night. The average annual rainfall in Hokkaido is approximately 1,100mm, which keeps the mountains filled with lush, green vegetation throughout the summer. If you suggest 60 minutes of aerobic type exercise, are extending your trip to Kyoto please bear in mind that the summer weather is hot and (either cycling or jogging) three times a week humid, much more so than Hokkaido, and hydration becomes more essential when cycling. for the three months leading up to your trip. Occasionally weather conditions on the land may prevent us from completing a scheduled The tour is fully supported and if at any stage activity. The decision to alter the itinerary is made in the best interest of the group and it’s you feel like having a rest from cycling you safety, and alternative plans are made. will be able to ride in the support vehicle. accommodation on the trip adventure travel A wide range of accommodations has been chosen for this trip to give you an opportunity By its very nature adventure travel involves to experience different types of accommodation that are available in Japan. Our accommodations are equipped with private facilities, except for the rare occasion where their an element of the unexpected. To get the location and charm outweigh the privacy factor. Full details of the lodges are provided with most out of your adventure it is important the trip notes. that you are mentally flexible, positive and Accommodations in Japan generally supply towels and yukata in your room. Yukata is eager to take on all the challenges that arise. like a casual kimono that Japanese people put on after spa and are also acceptable to If you are uncertain about your suitability wear at dinner. This night wear lessens the need to bring multiple outfits as we dine at our for this trip we recommend that you speak accommodation on most nights. We also try to reserve Japanese style rooms as much as with your consultant or travel agent. possible, and this means that you will be sleeping in futon on tatami floors on some nights. Please note: although every endeavour is made to stay at the accommodation detailed in the

itinerary, due to seasonal shortages occasionally, we need to use other accommodation of a important note similar standard. These trip notes represent the most current information for this itinerary, and pre and post tour accommodation may supersede any information in the If you would like some help booking pre/post tour accommodation speak to Ayaka (ayaka@ current brochure, including but not limited advsouth.co.nz) as she can help with different suggestions. to the itinerary and price. The itinerary should be seen as a guide only. This itinerary may change at any time due to what you carry Your bike will be equipped with a water bottle and a small pannier bag. It will have enough inclement weather, forces of nature and space for your jumper, camera, wallet etc. Helmets can be supplied but are of limited supply so other circumstances beyond our control. please ensure you request one at time of booking. what’s not included Airfare 7 lunches and 1 evening meal Drinks with included meals Personal expenses Optional activities Gratuities, tipping is not expected but gratefully received. It is at your discretion whether or not to reward for excellent service private groups The adventures featured in our brochures, and on our website, are just a starting point. Planning and providing special group departures is something we do exceptionally well. Over the past 20 years we have developed some exceptional itineraries, from cycling to hiking or combination multi-adventure trips. School groups, charities, work colleagues and cycling buddies have all been part of our experience. Our team can assist you with all aspects of your private group to ensure the trip is tailored just right for your group. Contact our team today. subscribe to our e-newsletter To keep up to date with the new and exciting trip releases, special offers plus more please subscribe to our free e-newsletter at www.advsouth.com Or why not view past travellers images and join in on the conversation at http://www.facebook. com/AdventureSouthNZ trip availability If this trip seems right for you then we encourage you to call us now to check availability. A popular reason to travel with Adventure South is because of our small group sizes. These can fill quickly so it is important to check your availability well in advance. We always need to ensure other services, like train tickets or accommodations, are also available before we can confirm your place on our tours. To ensure we can assist you onto your Japanese adventure of a lifetime we ask that you check your trip availability with our team at your earliest convenience. how to book To book an Adventure South holiday, you can book directly online ( http://www.advsouth.com/ booking.aspx ) or you will need to complete a booking form (found at the back of our brochure). You can also download a copy from www.advsouth.com . On completion, please fax or post the form to Adventure South, along with your non-refundable deposit. If you’re unsure what would be the best option for you call us NZ free phone 0800 00 11 66, AUS free phone 1800 10 70 60,

USA free phone 1866 479 9827 anywhere else +64 3 942 1222 or email us on guide@advsouth. co.nz